


no distance that could hold us back

by jinxfabray



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-09 13:45:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5542139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jinxfabray/pseuds/jinxfabray
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>it's new year's eve and everything's about to change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	no distance that could hold us back

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Saralisse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saralisse/gifts).



> title from the new year by death cab for cutie.  
> darling pan, i hope u will like this, it's just a tiny holiday season present in the form of a tiny drabble. i love u a lot, thank u for always being so kind and lovely, i hope u have the best year.

it’s the last time they’re gonna see each other for a bit - they promised that, because otherwise there’s no point to the break. it isn’t just about getting a nice holiday, it’s also about getting time to themselves, time away from each other after living in each other’s pockets for the past five years. so much has happened, and after every bump on the road they were forced to do their healing in shared spaces, with everyone else watching, and maybe some wounds still haven’t properly closed because of that. some scars were poked at too often and some space might be just what they need to make sure they don’t burst open again.

it’s the last night of one of their best years as a band and harry thinks it makes sense that they are spending it together. it was a good idea to stay away from all big parties as well, it’s just them and a few close friends in a penthouse with the best view of LA they could’ve asked for.

everything about this does seem like a great idea, except that one thing that keeps bothering him, that one tiny seed of a thought at the back of his mind that he just can’t find a way to ignore. space sounds great - he’s always been a fan of personal space, of time to himself, but something about it doesn’t feel quite right because sure, they have all been basically glued to each other all this time. they have all been sharing their every second and everything, except, well.

except him and louis.

even if the stories about them aren’t ever true, because they were never mortal enemies and they never fell apart entirely, they used to share a flat and breakfast every morning and their entire lives and then it was never quite like that again. it seems almost cruel that now, when things were slowly getting better and they didn’t find themselves having to switch seats if they accidentally ended up next to each other in public events, now they are giving each other /space/. 

harry wants space, but he isn’t so sure he wants space from louis just yet.

“thought we were waiting until tomorrow to start ignoring each other,” says a voice from behind him, startling him.

“hey lou,” he smiles at him, and maybe with the distance they were already forced to put between them so long ago louis can’t read him quite as well as he once could. “didn’t mean to ignore anyone, was just - you know, thinking. waiting for the fireworks.”

it’s still a quarter to midnight, but the city already seems to be preparing for them, and it’s going to be amazing from this spot on the rooftop harry’s secluded himself to. it’s probably going to look just as great from the other end of the rooftop though, where everyone else is.

“right, the fireworks,” louis nods like it makes perfect sense as he sits next to him. “thinking about the break?”

harry nods with his head because he doesn’t trust himself to even start saying anything else and not spill out everything he’s actually been thinking of. how they were just starting to close the gap other people had carved between them. how he’s not ready to let go, even if it’s just for a few months, because it scares him that this time maybe they’ll be too far when it’s time to go back to each other.

“i know we keep saying the same thing over and over in all interviews but it’s just really going to be strange, not having to set alarms. all that time to just do, i don’t know, nothing? i’m already getting stressed out about it,” louis laughs, and harry tries to do the same but doesn’t quite make it. “are you staying here? like, in LA?”

“i thought about it, but i’m not sure,” harry says slowly, because he figures nodding and shaking his head is going to start looking very weird if he keeps doing it without saying anything. “i’d like to know what living in london is truly like now that i’m not a scared teenager with too much to worry about, you know.”

“yeah, me too, think i’m gonna stay there and go to my mum’s every now and then,” louis agrees, and he’s staring off into the distance, not really looking at the city underneath them, squinting as if he could be gazing into their future and wanting to know if it’s going to be as scary as it looks like, being on their own and having all their time to do as they please. “was thinking of moving, too.”

“oh yeah?” harry says, and he wonders if louis can tell how much he’s staring at him even when he’s not looking back, but if he’s not gonna have him this close for some time then he wants to make the best of it. 

“i think i want a bigger place,” louis says after a long pause, finally looking back, and the way he’s smiling at harry makes his heart start to race for some reason. he doesn’t know if that’s something he made up in his own head a long time ago, but if louis does have a special harry smile, it’s this one, and he hasn’t seen it in years but maybe it was just because he wasn’t looking. maybe he just needs to pay more attention and he’ll find everything he thought they’d lost, if only he could. if only they weren’t gonna be /apart/. “might need a roommate though.”

oh.

the countdown from the crowd that’s just a few feet away from them is reaching zero, and suddenly, the entire city bursts into these wonderful, loud and bright fireworks. 

“i think i might know a guy,” harry says, and he’s got the most ridiculous grin on his face but he can’t find it in him to care, not about that, not about missing out on everyone cheering and possibly kissing each other.

“i’m a terrible roommate, or so i’ve been told, but - i think i’ve gotten a bit better. may have done some growing up and everything,” louis says, biting down on his lip as if that would help hide his own smile, and harry can’t help it, he has to reach out and cover his hand with his.

“can’t wait to find out,” he says, squeezing his hand, and suddenly the new year is starting to look a lot more exciting.


End file.
